A Look.

'It's not enough.'

Three words that came up a lot for him. He wasn't exactly the type to be grateful. Gratefulness was bulshit. Even when he should be. Life spared. New place to rest his head. Prop up his feet. Get in random fights. Make some cash.

All well an' good. He even enjoyed himself. Shit was workin' out better than he could hope. And yet those three words. That one simple fucking sentence. Haunted him.

He was unsatisfied.

He was drunk.

Normally that would mean a bar fight and mass property damage. But today it meant a crappy chair against the second story railing. A heavy-lidded gaze. A laughing girl – too far away to touch – clutching at her stomach with tears in her eyes.

'There's something missing.'

Cravings tickled his mouth. Sharpened his teeth. Widened and deepened the hungry void of his gut. Anytime he saw her. Anytime he heard her voice. Even when she was on the other side of a huge-ass room he could smell the joy in her. And he wanted her.

But she wasn't for him. It went beyond the blood that lay splattered on the hazy line of time between them. She was slowly erasing that by forgiving. By forgetting. And he was helping by changing. Becoming someone different. Better.

Not that different.

Not much better.

He couldn't make her laugh. Couldn't say or do anything that would put that stupid, carefree smile on her face. And she needed that. That smile was her. That laughter, her. He couldn't even pretend to be anything like compatible with that smile. That happy freedom.

'I need more.'

The wood creaked behind him. He made no move because it wasn't a surprise. His nose was filled with the scent of fire. "Came up here to get away from your shit, ass-fire." Wasn't the best insult ever, but he was drunk.

The little shit laughed at him. Laughed. "You're sulking up here like a little girl! Are you gunna cry? You need your teddy -" The heavy lids became narrow slits.

Fists met flesh.

Fists brought vacancy.

Even as he took his eyes off of her, he knew she was there. He knew when her laughter stopped. Heard her making bland comments to other people at her table about how 'they would never learn.' Heard others agree. Heard the goddamn laughter return. Heard exasperated sighs and whispers of 'moron' circle the hall. But it didn't take long before others joined the fight. Before a pile of two became a maelstrom of a dozen. But …

'It's not enough.'


Author's Note: I consider this lyrical prose. Sort of a poem in paragraph form. Which is why it's short. Because I'm not sure how much longer I could have kept it up, hahaha. Hope someone enjoyed. Please leave a review with your opinions.

The style is probably more suited to Levi, but I can't help but write from Gajeel's POV. I feel very attached to his character! :D